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I realize blogs are supposed to be short blurbs of info on varying topics to satisfy the masses’ lack of long-term concentration and appeal to a population that is driven on instant gratification (don’t be offended, I fall into this category). However, upon reading the recent exploits of Robert “Bob” Barnhart, better known to some as “BobtheBuilder” on OffshoreOnly.com, I could not help but get enthralled with his latest adventure—running his 50-foot Nor-Tech V-bottom from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Saba Rock Resort in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). With such a mammoth task under his belt, even sharing the raw facts and other tidbits of info is going to require an extended blog. So bear with me—this truly is an amazing story to anyone who is an offshore powerboat enthusiast.
“Semi-retired” from home and land development in Ontario, Canada, and Marco Island, Fla., Bob has racked up an amazing 4,000-plus hours of boating experience, most of which have been “offshore.” He currently runs a Formula 292, a Donzi 38 ZR and the flagship of his fleet, Team Predator, a Nor-Tech 5000 V powered by triple 480-hp Yanmar diesels connected to Arneson ASD8 surface drives.
When asked why Nor-Tech, the answer was straightforward and came quickly: “Great people to work with who stand behind their product.” And, of course, Bob is happy with the performance and build quality of this, his third 50-foot Nor-Tech.
No stranger to open water, Bob has conquered several hair-raising routes including several trips up the East Coast between Florida and New York, half a dozen trips to the Bahamas, a trip to Cuba in October 2009, as well as countless adventures on the Gulf of Mexico. Bob also enjoys his fair share of poker runs, running an average of a dozen poker runs a year in Canada and the U.S. He’s such a staple in the poker run scene, he was inducted into Poker Runs America Hall of Fame in 2004.
Bob’s name became notorious in the annals of OffshoreOnly.com (OSO) when he attempted and smashed the roundtrip record set by Reggie Fountain in 2003 from Key West, Fla., to Cancun, Mexico. The run was covered in the September 2008 issue of Powerboat and there’s a lengthy thread on OSO.
So when Bob started posting about his desire to run his Nor-Tech from Fort Lauderdale to the BVI to attend the Leverick Bay Poker Run at the end of May, people took note.
Unfortunately his first attempt at the run in May 2009 was cut short by foul weather. Not one to face defeat, Bob remounted his campaign to make the BVI with fellow OSO members Hans Haedelt (“rockstrmkr”) and Marc Scola (“Marco Marc”). The three successfully navigated their way from Fort Lauderdale to Georgetown on Great Exuma where they secured Team Predator and flew home.
On the next phase of the journey, Bob returned with professional photographer Jay Nichols (“Jayboat”). Over the next five days they pushed their way (with a little help from calm seas, for the most part) to their final destination—Saba Rock Resort, BVI. Once there, Saba Rock Resort (www.sabarock.com) manager and fellow powerboat owner David Brick (“Expat”) met Bob and Jay with open arms and accommodations fit for a king. Brick owns a Cigarette Racing 42 Tiger.
On May 30, Bob fulfilled his quest to participate in the Leverick Bay Poker Run. After the event, Bob flew home to Canada, only to once again return for a week of exploring the local BVI waters before opting to cargo ship Team Predator back to Florida instead of enduring the long trip home at the helm of his beloved boat. The behemoth Nor-Tech arrived safe and sound in Florida on July 6.
After traveling more than 1,400 miles—and getting about a mile to the gallon, throwing a propeller blade 40 miles south of Georgetown, fighting a constant power steering issue, breaking an oil line on the center motor (all of which were finally resolved before reaching BVI), dealing with his share of local bureaucracy and paying at times as high as $5 a gallon for diesel—the trip was a success.
Bob also has pointed out so many highlights of the trip, it’s hard to keep track. Things such as swimming with the wild pigs of Big Major Cay and pulling a local barefoot water skier behind Team Predator while at Georgetown are just a couple that stand out.
I asked Bob what he thinks is next. He explained he can’t say right now for sure but has tossed around the idea of going “down island,” a local term referring to the chain of islands to the south of BVI, all the way to Trinidad and Tobago off the South American coast. Bob also has thrown around the idea of spending the summer on his Nor-Tech in the Mediterranean or possibly taking on a more challenging adventure such as traversing the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific in Canada’s Arctic.
Most of us don’t have the means or the balls to attempt this type of escapade even once, let alone multiple times. But no matter what Bob decides for his next epic boating adventure, I’m sure we’ll all be able to read the play-by-play via the web. And let’s hope Bob takes on his next adventure soon so we can continue to live vicariously through him.
For more info about Bob’s BVI trip, check out this OSO thread. And to review the eye-popping supply of spectacular photographs taken by Jay Nichols, visit his flickr account by clicking here. |
